SACRAMENTO, CA – Senator Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) announced today that her bill, SB 443, which would provide funding for all transitional kindergarten students regardless of birthdate, passed the Senate Education Committee 6-0.

“As a teacher, I noticed the difference between students who had participated in Transitional Kindergarten versus those students that went directly to kindergarten,” Rubio said. “There was clearly a positive educational effect on those students that participated in the TK program.”

California school districts that choose to operate a TK program, currently do not receive per-pupil state funding for students until the child’s fifth birthday, leaving out those four-year-olds who turn five after December 2. This funding shortfall has a chilling effect on broader implementation of TK, which forces many districts to offer a minimum program for our youngest learners.

Research shows that TK is effective for all students who participate, and it has a particularly notable impact for English learners and mathematics skills for low-income students. In the West Covina School District, current kindergarten students who attended TK are in early literacy assessments 69% more likely to be on track than students of the same age who did not attend the program.

SB 443 will ensure that all students, regardless of their birth date will be treated equally for purposes of funding, thus removing the current structural disincentive against program expansion will be removed.   

The bill will next be heard in Senate Appropriations.

Senate District 22 is comprised of the cities within the San Gabriel Valley, which includes Alhambra, Monterey Park, San Gabriel, South San Gabriel, Rosemead, El Monte, South El Monte, Baldwin Park, Irwindale, Industry, Avocado Heights, La Puente, Valinda, West Covina, Vincent, Azusa, Citrus, Covina, Temple City, Arcadia and surrounding neighborhoods.

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For more information, visit the website of Senator Susan Rubio at https://sd22.senate.ca.gov/